Blasi Retiring After 30 Years
“It is difficult to describe in a few words the tremendous impact Professor [Ron] Blasi has had on Georgia State Law,” said Professor Mary Radford of her colleague Ron Blasi, who is retiring.
The director of the Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, Blasi joined the faculty in 1986 as associate professor. After a promotion to the rank of tenured full professor, he served as associate dean, acting dean and university associate provost.
In his role on the Accreditation Committee, Blasi helped steer Georgia State Law through the American Bar Association (ABA) accreditation process and two ABA self studies.
Blasi created the Business Succession Capstone course, modeled after the business school approach of teaching students through the use of case studies. The course was one of the first at the college to embrace the experiential concept of learning through doing. Mary Radford, professor of law, who taught with Blasi, says numerous alumni comment on how valuable the course was and how well it prepared them to transition into law practice.
“It is difficult to describe in a few words the tremendous impact Professor Blasi has had on Georgia State Law,” Radford said. “He has served in numerous leadership positions, but perhaps his most important legacy is the Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, to which he devoted 23 years of tireless energy, and today it is the model for low-income taxpayer clinics at law schools throughout the United States.”
Blasi formed the tax clinic in 1992. Since its inception, it has served thousands of low-income taxpayers in Georgia, providing legal representation and adjusting incorrect income tax liabilities.
Though his passion for tax law and serving those in need is evident to all who have worked with him, Blasi’s foremost goal has been to ensure that clinic students have a valuable learning experience.
“Professor Blasi's primary goal has always been the students. He has single-handedly raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the clinic and always insisted that the bulk of those funds be funneled back into research assistantships for deserving students,” Radford said.
“I'd personally like to thank Ron for all that he has done for me and my career, but I'd especially like to thank him for showing me what it means to be a true professional. I think all of Georgia State Law’s professors are outstanding, but I doubt there are many who have personally impacted as many students' careers as Ron has.”
Kelly Smith (J.D. ’95)
Blasi has served as a mentor for many clinic students, helping them land their first jobs, as he did for Kelly Smith (J.D. ’95), who participated in the tax clinic during his last semester.
“I owe much of my career to Ron, as it was his referral that led me to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where I continue to work as a partner after 21 years,” Smith said. “I've hired countless associates that Ron referred my way and have witnessed him work tirelessly over the years to promote his students, as well as build the tax clinic into the well-respected organization it is today. Ron taught me a passion for the practice of tax law and, most importantly, what it means to genuinely care about people.”
Jason Wiggam (J.D. ’10) took both the tax clinic and Blasi’s Business Tax course. “Professor Blasi was passionate about tax law and teaching his students to love it. I was always impressed with his professionalism, ethics and passion to help the less fortunate. I am the attorney I am today because of him,” Wiggam said.
Wiggam still recalls his first day in the tax clinic. Blasi told his students that one of the clinic’s main purposes was to help them develop judgment as an attorney.
“Professor Blasi, thank you for everything that you have done for me. I will forever be indebted to you. I wish you the best with the next step in your career and life!”
Jason Wiggam (J.D. ’10)
“After practicing for more than five years now, I can safely say that Professor Blasi was right, and the year and a half that I worked in the tax clinic was instrumental in developing my legal judgment,” Wiggam said.
Once Blasi retires, W. Edward “Ted” Afield, associate clinical professor, becomes the clinic’s director.
“It is an incredible privilege to take over for Ron. I intentionally do not use the word replace, because in my short time of knowing Ron, I have quickly realized that he is irreplaceable,” Afield said.
“In fact, before I started here, Ron invited my wife and I over for dinner, and it became readily apparent how significant Ron's contribution to legal education and client service has been,” Afield said. “When we left, my wife told me, ‘Wow, you have some really big shoes to fill.’ She could not have been more right.”
As former students and colleagues reflect on Blasi’s countless contributions, a common sentiment is his evident passion for tax law and teaching, as well as his understated nature.
“Despite his many achievements, Professor Blasi has never been one to seek external recognition. In his quiet, modest way, he has served as one of the major foundational supports on which Georgia State Law’s stellar reputation has been built,” Radford said. “He will be remembered as a rigorous and creative teacher.”